Red  Cross  Institute 
for  the  Blind 


Si  DDIT10NAL  copies  of  this  pamphlet  may  be 
obtained  without  charge  upon  application  to  the  Red 
Cross  Institute  for  the  Blind,  Cold  Spring  Road,  Guil- 
ford, Baltimore,  Md.  The  Committee  of  Direction  of 
the  Institute,  as  appointed  by  the  Red  Cross  War 
Council,  is  made  up  of  W.  J.  Hiss,  chairman;  Col. 
C.  H.  Connor,  vice-chairman;  Lieut  -Col.  James  C. 
Bordley,  director;  James  P.  Munroe;  M.  C.  Migel; 
Lieut.-Col.  Casey  A.  Wood;  and  Dr.  Henry  Wtreman 
Cook. 


THE       RED       CROSS  INSTITUTE 


The  RedCross  Institute  for  the  Blind 

I.    ECONOMIC    SUPERVISION    OK    THE  RETURNED 
BLINDED  SAILORS,  SOLDIERS,  AND  MARINES 

THE  purpose  of  the  Red  Cross  Institute  for  the 
Blind  is  to  supply  the  necessary  economic  and 
social  supervision  of  blinded  marines,  sailors, 
and  soldiers,  after  their  discharge  from  military  ser- 
vice. It  was  organized  at  the  request  of  the  Surgeon 
General  of  the  Army  to  supplement  the  training  to  be 
given  at  the  Military  Training  School  for  the  Blind. 
The  Institute  will  work  in  conjunction  with  the  Sur- 
geons General  of  the  Army  and  Navy  and  is,  therefore, 
a  national  activity  of  the  American  Red  Cross. 

This  work  will  begin  as  soon  as  a  sailor,  soldier,  or 
marine  who  has  lost  his  sight,  returns.  His  past  life 
will  be  studied  in  order  to  ascertain  his  previous  occu- 
pation, his  stability  as  a  workman,  his  former  wages, 
his  moral  career,  his  social  environment  both  before 
and  after  his  entrance  into  the  Army  or  the  Navy  and 
that  to  which  he  must  return,  his  military  or  naval 
record,  and  the  occupational  possibilities  of  his  home 
community.  As  he  passes  through  the  Military  Train- 
ing School  his  progress  and  characteristics  will  be 
noted.  The  closest  possible  cooperation  will  be  main- 
tained between  the  directors  of  the  Military  Training 
School  and  the  Red  Cross  Institute,  so  that  when  a 
soldier  or  sailor  has  been  fitted  to  go  back  into  civil 
life  he  will  be  helped  to  establish  himself,  with  the 
greatest  possible  expedition,  in  his  new  field  of  endeavor. 

Ill 


THE      RED      CROSS  INSTITUTE 


THE       RED       CROSS  INSTITUTE 


II.    OCCUPATIONAL  POSSIBILITIES 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  a  scientific  study 
be  made  of  occupational  possibilities  for  the  blind  in 
industry,  commerce,  and  agriculture  by  a  well- 
qualified  commission.  The  present  wages  of  the  aver- 
age blind  man  are  deplorably  low.  New  fields  must 
be  explored  and  new  occupations  discovered  in  order 
to  help  the  blind  to  become  self-supporting  wage 
earners. 

The  finding  of  new  opportunities  for  the  employ- 
ment of  the  blind  is  only  the  first  step  in  solving  the 
problem.  In  some  instances  there  are  processes  in 
factories  which  would  be  immediately  available  to  the 
blind  if  special  devices  were  arranged  for  the  machines 
as  is  being  done  for  men  who  are  handicapped  in  other 
ways  than  by  blindness.  These  devices  decrease 
danger  and  increase  efficiency,  two  of  the  stumbling 
blocks  in  the  employment  of  the  blind.  Having  found 
and  tested  these  processes,  classes  will  be  arranged  at 
the  Military  Training  School  so  that  a  man,  who  can 
be  fitted  to  make  use  of  such  an  opportunity,  can  learn 
how  to  do  the  work  before  he  goes  to  a  factory. 

After  the  process  has  been  found  and  tested  and  the 
blind  man  trained  to  do  the  work,  the  last,  and  in  some 
ways  the  most  difficult  problem,  is  to  find  an  opening 
for  him  in  a  factory.  To  make  this  link  in  the  chain  as 
strong  as  the  others,  a  manufacturers'  commission  is 
being  formed,  the  personnel  of  which  is  to  be  drawn 
from  among  large  manufacturers.  This  Commission 
will  cooperate  with  the  National  Manufacturers'  Asso- 
ciation and  other  organized  bodies  of  manufacturers. 
[  3  1 


THE       RED       CROSS  INSTITUTE 


Firsl  blind  soldier  and  sailor  to  be  admitted  h 
Military  Training  School  in  Baltimore,  Md. 


The  world  is  filled  with  people  having  limitations, 
and  yet  almost  all  could  be  of  true  economic  value  to 
themselves  and  the  community  if  the  right  niche  were 
found  for  them.  While  it  may  appear  that  a  blind  man 
is  too  greatly  handicapped  to  be  employed  in  factories 
side  by  side  with  those  who  see,  it  is  nevertheless  an 
[4] 


THE       RED       CROSS  INSTITUTE 


encouraging  fact  that  blind  men  are  today  doing  this 
very  thing. 

The  average  business  man  stands  in  awe  of  a  blind 
man  and  is  afraid  to  employ  him  because  if  the  man 
fails  to  "make  good"  he  "would  hate  to  discharge  him." 
The  Institute  will,  therefore,  not  only  place  the  man, 
but,  if  he  proves  inefficient,  it  will  itself  remove  him, 
thereby  relieving  the  employer  of  all  embarrassment. 
The  Institute  does  not  believe  in  employing  the  blind 
on  a  charity  basis.  It  should  be  strictly  a  business 
transaction. 

III.    TYPES  OF  EMPLOYMENT 

Blind  workers  may  be  divided  into  five  classes: 
those  who  can  work  in  shops  with  the  seeing,  in  shops 
maintained  for  the  blind,  in  commercial  enterprises, 
in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  those  who  can  work  only 
at  home. 

Whenever  possible,  the  Institute  intends  to  assist 
the  man  to  find  an  opening  either  in  his  old  occupation 
or  some  closely  allied  work.  In  this  way,  experience 
acquired  before  the  loss  of  sight  will  be  capitalized. 
If  this  procedure  is  impossible,  the  man  will  be  advised 
to  take  the  course  at  the  Military  Training  School 
which  seems  to  promise  the  largest  measure  of  future 
success.  The  plan  for  those  who  can  work  in  factories 
for  the  seeing  has  already  been  described.  For  those 
who  have  not  the  mental  or  physical  stability  to  go  to 
such  a  factory,  small  shops  for  the  blind  will  be  estab- 
lished, or  satisfactory  arrangements  made  with  exist- 
ing workshops  for  the  blind.  Those  who  can  work  to 
best  advantage  in  commerce  will  be  found  employ- 
151 


THE       RED       CROSS  INSTITUTE 


Headquarters  {General  Hospital  No.  7)  Military  Training  School 
for  the  Blind.    "Evergreen"  Baltimore,  Md. 


ment  by  the  Industrial  Commission  of  the  Institute. 
Where  agriculture  is  to  be  the  source  of  a  man's  in- 
come, the  education  given  him  at  the  Military  Train- 
ing School  will  be  supplemented  by  an  intensive  course 
at  an  Agricultural  College  or  by  apprenticeship  upon 
a  farm. 

If  a  man  is  suffering  from  injuries  in  addition  to 
blindness  and  it  is  not  practical  for  him  to  receive 
instruction  at  the  Military  Training  School  the  Insti- 
tute will  endeavor  to  make  arrangements  for  him  to 
receive  whatever  instruction  is  possible  in  his  own 
home  and  also  help  him  to  find  employment  there. 

One  of  the  greatest  difficulties  which  confronts  small 
16] 


THE       RED       CROSS  INSTITUTE 


workshops  for  the  blind  and  blind  home  workers  is  the 
securing  of  raw  material  at  the  best  wholesale  rates, 
and  the  finding  of  a  market  for  the  finished  product. 
The  Institute  proposes  to  act  as  the  purchasing  and 
sales  agent  for  this  group  of  workers. 

IV.   PROVISION  FOR  PROFESSIONALLY  TRAINED  MEN 

Those  men  who,  prior  to  their  enrollment  in  the 
Army  or  Navy,  were  attending  technical  schools  or 
colleges  preparatory  to  entering  some  profession  will 
be  given  an  opportunity  to  continue  their  studies 
17] 


THE       RED       CROSS  INSTITUTE 


where  such  a  course  seems  practical.  These  men  will 
need  assistance  in  the  reading  of  their  text-books  and 
such  readers  will  be  provided.  The  Institute  will  ren- 
der assistance  to  these  men  in  helping  them  to  find 
employment  after  graduation. 


« 


Totally  blind  workman  employed  in  one  of  the  assembly  departments 
of  the  Dayton  Engineering  Laboratories  Company  (Delco), 
Dayton,  Ohio 


[81 


THE       RED       CROSS  INSTITUTE 


Blind  soldiers  enjoying  themselves  at  St.  Dunstan's.  The  eards 
are  regular  playing  cards  marked  with  raised  characters 
which  can  be  read  by  touch 


V.    BOOKS  FOR  THE  BLIND 

For  all  of  the  blinded  soldiers,  sailors,  and  marines 
embossed  books  will  be  necessary.  These  will  be  in 
the  form  of  technical  and  current  literature.  Fortu- 
nately, the  English-speaking  world  has  agreed  upon  a 
single  dot  system  of  reading  and  writing  to  take  the 
place  of  the  several  codes  that  have  been  in  use  in  this 
country  and  abroad.  As  this  agreement  has  only  re- 
cently been  reached  there  is  a  very  limited  supply  of 
reading  matter  for  the  blind  in  the  uniform  system. 
This  means  many  books  will  have  to  be  printed.  The 
Institute  will  cooperate  with  the  Commission  on  Uni- 
form Type  and  the  Matilda  Ziegler  Magazine  for  the 
[9] 


THE       RKD       CROSS  INSTITUTE 


Partially  blind  man  "stripping1  items  from  tobacco  leaves  in  the 
Daylight  Cigar  Factory,  Baltimore,  Maryland.    The  man 
does  not  have  enough  vision  to  aid  him  in  his 
work.   He  is  crippled  as  well  as  blind 


Blind,  the  most  widely  read  publication  of  current  lit- 
erature printed  in  embossed  type  in  this  country,  to 
stimulate  the  production  and  distribution  of  reading 
matter  for  the  blind.  Blind  men  soon  become  despon- 
dent if  they  are  not  fully  occupied.  Nothing  lessens 
the  chances  of  this  despondency  more  than  books  and 
magazines  printed  in  their  'own  language'. 

[10] 


THE       RED       CROSS  INSTITUTE 
VI,    COOPERATION  BY  FAMILIES  OF  THE  BLIND 


One  of  the  most  potent  factors  in  the  failure  of  many 
blind  men  is  the  lack  of  appreciation  of  their  difficulties 


Blind  operative  assembling  farm  lighter  cores  in  the  factory  of  the 
Robbins  and  Myers  Company,  Springfield,  Ohio.   The  sense 
of  touch  enables  this  man  to  throw  out  faulty  disks 
even  faster  than  a  man  with  sight 
[Hi 


THE       RET)       C    ROSS  INSTITUTE 


A  blind  man,  who  has  lost  both  hands,  knitting  at  the  American, 
British,  French,  and  Belgian  Permanent  Blind  Relief  War 
Fund's  American  Practical  Knitting  School  in  France 


and  mistaken  sympathy  on  the  part  of  their  families. 
It  is  essential  to  provide  against  this  obstacle  to  future 
success.  The  Red  Cross  Institute  for  the  Blind  is, 
therefore,  making  preparations  to  open  a  cottage  for 

[  12] 


THE       RED       CROSS  INSTITUTE 


Blinded  soldiers  receiving  instruction  in  poultry  raising 
at  Ht.  Dunstan's.  London,  England 


the  relatives  of  the  blind  in  Baltimore,  the  seat  of  the 
Military  Training  School  for  the  Blind.  Toward  the 
end  of  the  course  of  instruction  if  there  is  any  member 
of  the  family  of  the  soldier  or  sailor  such  as  a  wife, 
child,  or  other  relative  who  can  be  of  assistance  to  him 
in  carrying  on  his  future  trade  or  profession,  she  will 
be  invited  to  come  to  the  Institute  cottage,  if  neces- 
sary without  any  expense  to  herself,  and  given  practi- 
cal instruction  in  how  best  to  assist  the  blind  man,  not 
only  in  the  details  of  the  man's  trade  or  profession,  but 
in  the  best  ways  of  assisting  a  blind  man  at  home. 

Where  a  blind  man  is  married  and  is  unable  himself, 
through  serious  disability,  to  work,  his  wife  will  be 
taught  some  vocation  from  which  she  can  add  to  the 
[13] 


THE       RED      CROSS  INSTITUTE 


No  ^    Nem 

THE  CHASE  H 

Payto the  ordeh  of  _RED_CR0S3._INSTI. 


„  <       ONE  HUNDRED  THOUSAND  and  NO/100  - 

,|l'i;s,'I  ■ 


PAYABLE    THROUGH    NEW  YORK  CLEARING  HOUSE. 


Is 


§  $AQOj00oJipo_ 


family  income.  The  effort  will  be  made  to  assist  the 
family  where  the  man  was  formerly  a  salesman,  store- 
keeper, etc.,  and  must  work  only  at  home,  but  pre- 
sumably can  command  the  trade  of  a  fair  proportion 
of  his  old  customers. 

The  first  difficulty  that  will  be  experienced  by  the 
average  individual  upon  leaving  the  Government 
Training  School  and  starting  his  life  work,  will  be  to 
provide  himself  with  the  tools  and  materials  of  his 
trade.  The  Institute  will  provide  such  essentials 
through  some  fair  arrangement. 

VII.   ADVANTAGEOUS  LOCATION  OF  THE  INSTITUTE 

That  the  Institute  workers  may  be  trained  under 
the  best  environment,  the  Institute  will  take  as  its 
headquarters  a  house  on  the  Military  Reservation  now 
[14] 


THE       RED      CROSS  INSTITUTE 


R  O  A  D  WAY 


TUTE  FOR  THE  pitTWD,  -  -  -   ■ 

,  -  --   --  --  --  -  -       -  -  -  DOLLARS 

Permanent  Blind  Relief  War  Fund 


occupied  by  the  Military  Training  School.  The  great 
advantages  accruing  from  the  arrangement  are: 

1.  The  blind  men  will  immediately  become  ac- 
quainted with  the  work  of  the  Institute. 

2.  There  can  be  maintained  in  a  quiet  place  a  read- 
ing room  for  the  blind.  (The  librarian  of  the  reading 
room  for  the  blind  of  the  Library  of  Congress  has 
volunteered  her  services  as  librarian.) 

3.  It  will  enable  the  Red  Cross  Institute  to  carry 
out  its  plans  for  the  instruction  of  its  district  workers 
who  have  volunteered  assistance  in  the  re-education 
of  the  blind.  Thus  the  Institute  cooperating  with  the 
Military  Training  School  will  bring  together  the 
sailors,  soldiers,  marines,  military  teachers,  and  volun- 
teer workers.  In  other  words,  there  will  be  no  hiatus 
between  the  school  life  and  occupational  employment 


HON.  TREASURER 


LJ 


h.sl 


THE       RED       CROSS  INSTITUTE 


of  the  men  to  be  bridged  over  by  people  unfamiliar 
with  the  one  or  the  other. 

All  of  these  plans  have  met  with  the  most  cordial 
support  of  the  Surgeon  General's  office. 

The  "American,  British,  French,  and  Belgian  Per- 
manent Blind  Relief  War  Fund  for  Soldiers  and  Sail- 
ors" has  contributed  $100,000  to  the  work  of  the  Red 
Cross  Institute  for  the  Blind.  This  money  was  given 
from  the  highest  patriotic  motive.  The  Institute  has 
the  assurance  of  this  splendid  organization,  which  has 
done  so  much  for  the  blind  of  Great  Britain,  France, 
and  Belgium,  that  it  intends  to  be  an  annual  contrib- 
utor. 

The  Federal  Board  for  Vocational  Education  has 
been  authorized  by  Congress  to  industrially  place — 
and  where  necessary  re-educate — the  disabled  soldiers 
after  their  discharge  by  the  Army.  The  Red  Cross 
Institute  for  the  Blind  will  cooperate  with  the  Federal 
Board  and  render  such  assistance  as  is  requested. 


1 16] 


